White House Supports Repealing Gulf War and Iraq War Authorizations

(AmericanProsperity.com) – The White House announced on Thursday its support of a legislation that would officially end the Persian Gulf War and the Iraq War. According to a statement of administration policy, the Biden Administration said the legislation keeps with President Joe Biden’s commitment to replace what he considers to be outdated authorizations for the use of military force, pointing out this decision won’t have any type of impact on the current military operations that the United States is conducting.

In a separate statement, the Office and Budget Management said that President Biden is willing to sign the bill as soon as possible, which represents a turning point in the debate on whether the United States should repeal the dual AUMFs, even when both wars ended years ago. The statement says that the Biden administration believes the US isn’t currently involved in any type of military activity that mainly relies on the 2002 and 1991 AUMFs, and that taking this step would support its commitment to a better relationship with Iraqi allies.

The legislation, which is sponsored by Republican Indiana Senator Todd Young and Democratic Virginia Senator Tim Kaine, has already passed the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. However, the bill is up for a vote in the full Senate and it would have to pass the House so it can finally reach President Biden’s desk so he can sign it.

When the committee voted in favor of the bill last week, Young told reporters that it’s important to repeal these AUMFs since this will show that the United States is fully committed to the sovereignty of Iraq. He also said it was crucial to take this step because it would restore the proper role of America’s legislative branch in authorizing the use of military force when needed, and strongly stating when certain conflicts reach to an end.

The Biden administration had already vowed to work with the legislative branch to take this step, noting both AUMFs will be replaced with a framework that allows the country to deploy the military and stop getting stuck in “forever wars.”